


Birthday Bash

by enigmaticblue



Series: Science Husbands [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-12
Updated: 2013-11-12
Packaged: 2018-01-01 06:03:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1041213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony isn’t about to forget Bruce’s birthday again, even though Bruce kind of wishes he would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Bash

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thomasina75](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thomasina75/gifts).



“So, what do you want for your birthday?”

 

Bruce starts, looking up from his equation. He hadn’t heard Tony enter his lab. “My birthday isn’t for three months. And also, I don’t want anything; I have everything I need.”

 

Tony perches on the stool next to Bruce. “But there has to be something you _want_.”

 

Bruce leans in for a kiss. “Not anymore.”

 

“There’s more where that came from,” Tony replies, and kisses him again, nipping at Bruce’s lip, grinning against Bruce’s mouth.

 

Bruce loses himself in the kiss, and thinks he might have succeeded in distracting Tony.

 

He should have known better.

 

Tony pulls back after one last kiss. “All right, if there’s nothing you want, how about a party?”

 

Bruce sighs. “You know how I feel about parties.”

 

“Just the team,” Tony coaxes. “We’ll have cake and ice cream—everybody likes cake and ice cream.”

 

Bruce shakes his head. “I’m not going to put the rest of the team out just for my birthday. What is this about, Tony?”

 

“You told Steve that people didn’t throw you birthday parties, and I forgot last year,” Tony replies quietly. “I wanted to fix that.”

 

Bruce frowns, trying to remember when he’d said anything to Steve about his birthday, and remembers going to the party Laurel had thrown Steve last July. Steve had admitted that he’d never really had a birthday party before, and Bruce had said he didn’t have much experience with parties thrown in his honor either. And, while true, that hadn’t been a complaint.

 

“I didn’t think you were listening,” Bruce says.

 

Tony shrugs. “I was paying attention. I would have suggested a surprise party, but you don’t like surprises.”

 

“Not usually,” Bruce replies. “I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”

 

“We’re celebrating _you_ ,” Tony replies, throwing an arm around Bruce’s shoulders. “And that’s worth a party.”

 

Bruce opens his mouth to protest, and Tony adds, “Very small, very low key, and I’ll tell everybody not to bring gifts.”

 

Bruce figures that’s about the best deal he can hope for, because once Tony gets an idea into his head, it’s almost impossible to convince him otherwise.

 

“If you must,” Bruce says, trying to sound gracious.

 

“I must,” Tony insists, leaning in for another kiss. “See you tonight?”

 

Bruce nods. “Come and get me if I don’t emerge on my own.”

 

“It’s going to be great, Big Guy,” Tony promises.

 

Bruce still doesn’t want to celebrate his birthday, but he knows Tony keeps his promises. After all, Tony had said marriage would be great, and he hadn’t been wrong.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony has some idea of why Bruce doesn’t celebrate his birthday, since he has a very good idea of what Bruce’s formative years had been like. Not celebrating is as much of a defense mechanism as Tony’s huge birthday bashes had been—throw a huge party for yourself, and you don’t have to think about how no one would be there if you didn’t invite them to the party of the year. Don’t celebrate at all, and you don’t have to think about all the people who don’t give a rat’s ass about you, even the people who should.

 

So, Tony figures it’s his job to show Bruce that people care enough to show up for him—over and over again, if necessary, until Bruce accepts it the way he accepts the laws of physics.

 

He starts by going out to lunch with Pepper, ostensibly for the purpose of discussing business.

 

“What’s going on, Tony?” she asks suspiciously.

 

Tony mimes being hurt. “Why can’t I just have lunch with you?”

 

“You never take me out to lunch to talk business,” Pepper says briskly. “Usually, you want something, so what is it?”

 

“Bruce’s birthday is coming up,” Tony replies. “I want to throw him a party.”

 

Pepper frowns. “Is that really a good idea?”

 

“The team, you, Laurel, Bruce’s lab assistants, maybe a couple of other people,” Tony says. “Just dinner, cake, ice cream, maybe a few streamers and a movie.”

 

Pepper smiles. “That sounds like exactly the kind of party Bruce would like.”

 

“That’s what I thought,” Tony agrees. “It’s his present I need your help with.”

 

“What were you thinking?” Pepper asks, and if she sounds a little skeptical, Tony can’t blame her. He’s not exactly known for his gift-giving capabilities.

 

Tony grins smugly, because he has this in the bag. “A scholarship in his name for promising young physicists who would otherwise be unable to go to college.”

 

Pepper’s eyes widen, and he can see her surprise, and then she shakes her head. “That’s brilliant, Tony.”

 

“Well, I _am_ a genius,” Tony replies modestly.

 

Pepper laughs. “I see being married has been good for you.”

 

“So, are you going to come?” Tony asks.

 

“I’ll even help you plan it,” Pepper promises.

 

“I’m fully capable of planning a small, private party,” Tony protests.

 

“Maybe I want to help,” Pepper replies. “This _is_ Bruce.”

 

Tony smiles, and he knows he’s just as infatuated now as he was a year ago. “Everybody loves Bruce. It’s just a matter making sure he knows it.”

 

His next stop is Laurel, since she oversees both Bruce’s schedule and Steve’s—Bruce’s because it’s her job, and Steve’s because it’s personal.

 

“I want to throw Bruce a birthday party,” he says without preamble over the videophone. “I need a night when Steve and him are free, and if you have any knowledge of where the rest of the team will be, that would be great.”

 

Laurel tucks her hair behind her ears. “Bruce’s birthday is three months away.”

 

“Exactly my point,” Tony says. “This way, everybody can put it on their schedules, and I can make sure that Fury gives Clint and Natasha the night off.”

 

“How are you going to do that?” Laurel asks, amused.

 

Tony rubs his hands together. “I’ll just tell him how angry Bruce will be if they’re not there. Plus, I have a few other tricks up my sleeve. You’ll find a day?”

 

“I’ll take care of it,” Laurel promises. “And I’d tell the team no presents.”

 

“I figured I’d tell them to donate to charity instead,” Tony replies. “In Bruce’s name.”

 

“Nice touch,” Laurel replies. “I’ll corral Steve, and keep Bruce’s schedule clear. I can also invite his lab assistants and a couple of others.”

 

Tony nods. “Perfect.”

 

He ends the call and rubs his hands together. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

 

~~~~~

 

When three months pass and Tony doesn’t mention his birthday again, Bruce assumes he’s forgotten all about it. It wouldn’t be the first time that Tony got distracted by some new project, and they’ve been fairly busy the last few months.

 

But Bruce knows something is up when he checks his calendar and sees that his Saturday evening is completely blocked out, but without any description. It’s rare for Laurel to calendar something without giving Bruce a heads up.

 

He checks SI’s chat and sees that Laurel is logged in. _Anything you want to tell me?_ he sends.

 

 _About what?_ she responds.

 

_Saturday night._

 

_Event is at the Tower, dress is casual, bring your appetite. :-)_

 

_I don’t do birthday parties._

 

 _Who said it was a birthday party?_ Laurel writes back. _Be there or be square, Dr. Banner._

 

Bruce sighs, knowing when he’s beat. If Laurel and Tony are actively working against him, he should probably just bow to the inevitable. He knows they mean well, and Tony will be there.

 

Tony’s presence makes even large crowds palatable.

 

Still, he’s somewhat comforted by the idea that the party is in the Tower, since that means the crowd can’t get _too_ big.

 

“Is there anything you want to tell me?” he asks Tony as they’re lying in post-coital bliss that night.

 

Tony turns his head, still wearing a goofy grin. “You know declarations of love aren’t my thing.”

 

“About Saturday?” Bruce prompts.

 

Tony’s grin gets wider. “I know Laurel has made sure to keep your schedule free.”

 

“She blocked off the entire evening,” Bruce replies. “She said to bring my appetite.”

 

Tony hitches a shoulder. “The team is going to be in town. I thought it was a good opportunity to get the band back together.”

 

Bruce props himself up on an elbow. “And the fact that it’s right around my birthday has nothing to do with it?”

 

Tony frowns. “So self-centered! Not everything is about you, Brucie.”

 

But his eyes are twinkling, and Bruce knows he’s teasing. “I think you’re playing with fire.”

 

“And I think you take yourself entirely too seriously,” Tony shoots back. “Also, I think you’re due some fun. It’s been a while since the whole team has been together.”

 

“Not since New Years,” Bruce agrees. “You’re not going over the top, are you?”

 

Tony smirks. “There might be streamers.”

 

“I hate you,” Bruce complains.

 

Tony puts his hand on Bruce’s dick, and Bruce is a little surprised to find out that he might have another round in him. “Your body says otherwise.”

 

“Birthdays really aren’t that big of a deal,” Bruce protests.

 

“Hmm,” Tony says noncommittally. “We celebrated mine in style.”

 

“With copious amounts of sex.”

 

“ _In style_ ,” Tony repeats. “You gave me the gift of yourself.”

 

Bruce rolls his eyes. “Oh, my god. You are such a sap.”

 

“You love it,” Tony replies, continuing to fondle him.

 

And even though they don’t really do declarations of love, Bruce says, “I love _you_ , sappiness and surprise parties aside.”

 

Tony grins at him. “If it’s on your calendar, it isn’t a surprise. And back at you.”

 

And then he swallows Bruce down, and anything Bruce might have said is lost.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony’s not entirely sure that it had been a good idea to give Bruce advance warning about the party, but they’d all agreed that a surprise might not be the smartest idea.

 

He’s fully prepared to drag Bruce out of his lab and up to the Penthouse, but Bruce meets Tony in their bedroom, and they catch a shower together. Bruce looks a little less rumpled than usual when he dresses in dark gray slacks and a purple shirt. His expression, however, is of a man going to his doom.

 

“Let’s get this over with,” Bruce says.

 

“Okay, here’s the thing,” Tony replies. “If you hate this, I swear I will never plan another birthday party for you again.”

 

“I thought you weren’t admitting that it was a birthday party,” Bruce replies with the beginnings of a smile.

 

Tony smirks. “I’m still not. I’m just saying, I won’t plan another birthday party for you. And I will do whatever you want for a day.”

 

Bruce raises his eyebrow. “And if I don’t hate it?”

 

“Your enjoyment is payment enough,” Tony replies. “If it were a birthday party.”

 

“If,” Bruce agrees, but he looks pleased. “However it turns out, thank you.”

 

Tony shrugs off his gratitude. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

As Tony had hoped, the others have all gathered by the time they get out into the common room, and it’s a fairly small crowd—the team, Pepper, Laurel, Bruce’s two lab assistants, and a couple of others from Stark Industries’ R&D section that Bruce has worked closely with and has mentioned liking. Everyone who isn’t an Avenger appears tongue-tied and awed at the company they’re keeping—other than Pepper and Laurel, who aren’t awed by anything or anyone at this point.

 

No one yells “surprise,” because they all know that Bruce and surprises don’t mix, but Steve immediately comes up to Bruce and gives him a hug. “Happy birthday, Bruce.”

 

That breaks the ice, and Natasha is next, coming up to Bruce and murmuring something in his ear that makes Bruce laugh. Clint claps him on the shoulder, and Thor grabs him in a bear hug that causes Bruce’s feet to leave the floor, although Bruce is laughing the entire time.

 

Tony’s close enough when Pepper hugs Bruce to hear, “Happy birthday. I’m so glad you’re here.”

 

“Thanks,” Bruce murmurs, looking faintly embarrassed.

 

Laurel gives him a kiss on the cheek. “We weren’t going to not celebrate your birthday, Bruce. Besides, I’m already writing the press release.”

 

Bruce looks alarmed. “Press release?”

 

“You’ll see,” Laurel replies smugly.

 

“Come on,” Tony says, pulling Bruce towards the long buffet table loaded down with delicacies from the Indian place Bruce likes so much. “Let’s eat.”

 

Aside from the presence of the lab assistants—Tony thinks their names are Holden and Marissa—and the scientists from R&D, it might have been just another team night. There’s food, and background music consisting of the songs Jarvis says Bruce listens to most often in the lab, and the promised cake and ice cream.

 

Bruce appears to be genuinely enjoying himself, because he wears a smile the entire time, and makes the rounds of the room, putting the assistants and scientists at ease enough that they seem to lose their awe of the rest of the Avengers.

 

When Tony determines that the party is in full swing, and everybody is just a little tipsy, he announces, “Time for presents!”

 

Bruce gives him a sharp look. “I thought I told you I didn’t want anything.”

 

“You only say that because you don’t know what I got you,” Tony replies smugly. “Come on, sit down.”

 

Bruce sits with an air of amused exasperation, and Laurel hands him a thick stack of cards. Tony can tell that his curiosity is piqued. “Okay,” he murmurs, and rips into the first one, which happens to be from Pepper.

 

Pepper catches Tony’s eye and grins smugly.

 

“Oh,” Bruce says softly as he reads it with Tony looking over his shoulder. “This is—this is great.”

 

“Pass it around,” Clint says. “Don’t keep it all to yourself.”

 

Bruce holds up a card. “It’s a donation in my name to Kiva, which makes microloans.”

 

And as Bruce opens the rest of the cards, it’s more of the same—donations to St. Jude’s (Steve), and a local shelter for battered women (Laurel), to food banks and charities that provide livestock to poor families in developing countries.

 

When he opens the last card, Bruce has to swallow several times, and then he says. “This was great, guys. Really. Perfect even,” and he sounds a little choked up.

 

“You haven’t opened my gift yet,” Tony says, squeezing Bruce’s leg and handing him another envelope.

 

Bruce’s expression is unreadable as he opens it, and then he unfolds the document and skims it quickly, before staring at Tony in shock. “Tony…”

 

“How’d I do?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce shakes his head wordlessly, and then he pulls Tony in for a long, heated kiss. “You are amazing.”

 

“Don’t keep us in the dark,” Steve protests.

 

Bruce hands over the paperwork, and Steve lets out a long whistle as he reads out loud. “Announcing the Bruce Banner Scholarship Fund for Promising Young Physicists,” Steve says. “Full ride to any school in the country to a kid who has no other way to attend college and shows promise and interest in physics.”

 

He has no idea how he feels about this, the level of thoughtfulness that Tony’s put into this, the way it reveals how much he knows about Bruce, and who Bruce is, and what he would like. He suddenly has no doubt that Tony had been the one to specify no gifts, only donations, and Bruce is speechless.

 

He doesn’t deserve this.

 

But then Bruce notices that everybody is looking at Tony with a new kind of respect in their eyes, and Bruce realizes that whatever reputation Tony might have had for thoughtlessness with these people is gone.

 

They’ve all gotten a glimpse of the kind of guy Tony can be at his best, when he’s not saving the world, and it’s just him and Bruce.

 

“What is a scholarship?” Thor asks, breaking through the hushed silence that had fallen, and Clint begins to explain.

 

That leaves Bruce free to lean in for another kiss from Tony, pressing his forehead against Tony’s, holding on tightly. “This was perfect.”

 

“You deserve it,” Tony says quietly. “A hundred times over, Bruce.”

 

And here with Tony, surrounded by his friends, Bruce believes it.


End file.
